Humpathri (Kulgam), May 05: The administration’s tall claims of improving infrastructure in the government schools fall flat here in Humpathri village of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
Government Primary School Karim Mohallah Humpathri lacks basic facilities – water, toilet, and fencing. It is also without a road.
The village head, Gulzar Ahmad, said the school has been left to God’s mercy. There is not even a drinking water facility for the students, he told Rising Kashmir.
“Imagine a school with no basic facilities; how the parents send their children to it. Will the students learn? These basic things should be here. These kids deserve better,” he said.
Gulzar said the school has a forest nearby and is not fenced, thereby risking the lives of students. “Any man-animal conflict-like incident can happen,” he added.
The students said they are having a tough as the school is situated in the terrain region and the path gets slippery during rain. “There should be a proper road,” said one of the students living nearby.
An official said the school was established in 2011 and used to operate in a rented space. However, from 2016 to 2022, it was clubbed into a neighbouring middle school, he said, adding that it was barely a year ago that the school was relocated to the present location.
“The problem with schools like these is that they were established to prepare people for vote bank,” the official said, adding that it was built at a location that was “unsuitable” for a school.
“For the current academic year, the school has 35 students enrolled. Two teachers are assigned there,” he said.
Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Damhal Hanjipora Ata Mohammad Khan told Rising Kashmir that the school was moved back a year due to complaints by locals that their children were having difficulty in the overcrowded school.
“We have been providing grants to school authorities for such improvements, and if anything is missing, we will check it,” Khan said.
On drinking water facilities, the CEO said they have raised it with the appropriate authorities, adding, “There is always room for improvement.”
